Isaiah 43:2-3a

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

The recent Waldo Canyon Fire that consumed our home has caused me to think about other times I have encountered flames. (I’m noticing a new theme in my life!) I remember one incident when, as a 27-year-old dad, I used “improper fuel” to start the gas grill. My shirt ignited as our six-month-old daughter looked on screaming, not knowing how to handle seeing her daddy ablaze. I ended up with second degree burns on my face and chest. The burns healed. But with that memory, and the recent wildfire, it prompted me to look more closely at those verses from Isaiah. I’m sure many in our community are wrestling with this idea in a fresh way, though they may not express it outright:

“What does it mean that ‘we will not be burned’? What does God’s promise of protection really mean?”

Join me as I consider these questions in my next couple blog posts.